MY COLLECTION - Sitting Down With Purpose To Do Some Blogging

Happy Saturday all....long time. Hope all is well.

I woke up this morning and in the midst of scrolling through some social media and eBay listings, stumbled across another new Linden card to add to the master list. He's been in a ton of products over the past year - which is fantastic. I haven't been chasing many of them. I'll get to that in a bit.

As I walked up to my office to sit down and add the new Linden cards to my list, I decided that I should take some time to fire up the ol' blog post machine and do some typing. For the first time in a long while I felt like I had something to say and share...and, well, it'd been a while.

We are nearing the middle of October (where has the time gone???) and it's Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada. I've got a couple days of solid rest and relaxation...something I'm welcoming with open arms. This past year has been unique. Not quite the rollercoaster ride of 2024, but still providing many ups and downs. While sportscard collecting has taken a bit of a back seat, I can say with absolute certainty that 2025 has been the year I've been the most involved with this great hobby. That brings a massive smile to my face.

Let's start with my guy, Trevor Linden. I mentioned that he has some new cards. It seems that Upper Deck has decided to include him in the new Ultimate product...one of their higher-end releases. It's not just 1 or 2 cards either...he has 11 new pieces of cardboard for me to chase. The base card (with parallels), an auto (with parallels), an emblem (with parallels)....yikes, and an Ultimate Signatures card. Some low-numbered stuff, but overall a nice mix of cards that I can scope out and acquire.

With only a couple more Upper Deck product releases for the 24/25 season, Linden has been included in 7 of them. Easily the most we've seen of Trev since he retired...which has been almost 20 years now. I love seeing new cards, new designs and new additions to the master list. But while he has almost 50 unique cards from the 24/25 season for me to hunt down...I've only acquired 2 to this point.

2024/25 Upper Deck Artifacts

#167 Seafoam Green  /10

This Seafoam Green parallel (really???.....seafoam) from Artifacts is the only Linden I've picked up from eBay this year - for reals. I got it for what I thought was a crazy good price and so I decided to pull the trigger. That and the Copper parallel /99 (which I found at a local show) are the only 2 Linden pickups so far in 2025.

I've had to dial back the purchases over the past couple years as I've been hit with a little financial instability. It's crazy how things happen...one moment you feel like you're on solid ground and the next - quicksand. While it's been nothing that has created any sort of panic...I knew quickly that some of the "wants" in my world needed to go on the backburner as I dealt with more of the "needs". 

I'm extremely fortunate that in my older age and wisdom (ha ha) I'm able to still enjoy the hobby even though I'm not buying cards at the rate I once did or would like to. Sportscard collecting can actually be so much more than "here's what I picked up today". I've really enjoyed reading and listening to and watching what others are doing and acquiring in their hobby world. So fulfilling.

I've mentioned a couple times that 2025 has been a strong year in terms of hobby enjoyment for me. That's because I made some serious shifts in my professional life. 

I've been involved in video production for almost 30 years now. The past couple have been a real struggle. I once had the stability of solid, full-time work at a world-class facility. I made the decision to move on from that place as it was starting to really burn me out. While the journey since has been quite rocky (last year was not a fun year for me financially), I still take great pride in the decision I made and feel strongly that moving on to my next chapter was the best thing for me.

Last December, I had a friend reach out to me. He owns a sportscard shop here in town. He knew my situation and said that while he wouldn't be able to pay what I was getting in the video industry, he had a slot open at the shop if I'd be interested in working a couple shifts a week...something to help pay a few bills and get out of the house.

I jumped at it...and it has been the best decision I've made all year. I've been working at that sportscard shop each month since and just recently made the decision to work there full time. I absolutely love the environment, the people I work with, the customers who come in and the positive feelings that the hobby brings to me - and that I can then share with those I meet. I've been able to bring who I am and what I love about the hobby to the shop and I think it's been a perfect fit. Heck, I'm even able to bring a bit of my video production background into the shop. And they've said on many occasions that they are thrilled to have me.

It's funny...that decision to start working at the card shop has catapulted positive moment after positive moment throughout the year. I've had more freelance opportunities to do video work, I've been able to volunteer with more of a focused mind and I don't "bring work home with me" after leaving the card shop for the day. That's huge.

Speaking of freelance opportunities, I recently got a massive opportunity to try something that I've wanted to do for a long time...be a part of an NHL production.

I know someone who knows someone who works for the Calgary Flames and found out that they are in  need of video replay operators (for their in-house Jumbotron feed). I had never done that before...but have been in production trucks during live sporting events and knew the tasks involved. I was referred to them and they invited me down to try it out.

I did as much homework prior...watching some tutorials and reading documents, to try and help me pick things up quicker. Must have worked because after an early goal to start the game, I rolled back the video, let the director know that I had the replay ready and (without hesitation) he called on me to "roll it". Went off without a hitch. I was on cloud nine.

The game was a blur, but by the 3rd period I was holding my own and proud to say more than just "a warm body in a chair"...I was contributing to the production, far more than I think anyone anticipated. After all, I had never done before. They reached out to me the next day and shared how much they appreciated my approach to the job, the seriousness in learning what needed to be done and my enthusiasm in asking questions and "jumping in". I'm being invited back.

I'm hoping that it can be the side gig that lines up perfectly with the card shop. I need just a touch more incoming dollars each month to make ends meet (card shop doesn't pay overly well....but the positives of working there far....FAR outweigh the financial shortcomings). Another side gig I'm looking at is from the National Music Centre (think of it as Canada's Music Hall Of Fame).

Another chance opportunity (someone I worked with referred me to them) had me applying for a fulltime position with their in-house video team. Walking through the doors of the place had me in awe. It is an absolutely stunning facility. Truly world-class. I had a super conversation with two of the lead members of the video team and was really impressed with their goals and approach to what the NMC is looking to do moving forward. 

I couldn't help but think "if I took this job....I'd likely have to give up working at the card shop". It's funny, a year ago I'd have killed for an opportunity like this, but now I'm having second thoughts. I had a smile on my face as I shared with them that my current situation is one that I'm really happy with and want to continue. While I'd love to work at a place like the National Music Centre, working there full time might not be the option that's right for me. I was being selfish...and proud of it.

They appreciated my honesty....and called me back the next day. They wanted to bring me in on a contract-by-contract basis to help with their productions - when it would fit into my schedule. I was floored. I just worked my first event with them the other night. It was an intimate concert celebrating the 90th birthday of legendary trumpet player, Al Muirhead. 

I've always said that if you do good things...good things happen. I believe that as strongly as ever. I have stuck to my guns and have listened to my gut and my heart when it comes to what it is I do on a day-by-day basis. While things still aren't perfect financially, I'm in a place where the weight has lifted off my shoulders a lot. That was the goal for 2025...find some stability.

One last thing to share (as I blab about a year's worth of blog stuff...LOL). You'll get a kick out of this. I was a part of a pretty fun hockey pool last season. We don't play for money, we play for punishment. I still don't know how I finished 8th out of 10 last season (well, I do...Swayman and Sheshterkin were abysmal as my goalies) but long story short, I was due for some punishment.

I had to wait all summer before the rest of the gang gathered to celebrate my epic 8th place finish....

This is the bowling shirt they gifted me and that I have to wear twice a week through the month of October. As a Linden guy...this is KILLING ME!!! To see Mark Messier's mug laughing at me (that photo is from the moment he's about to hoist the Stanley Cup in 1994...after defeating my Canucks in game 7) is unbearable. And the howls from the rest of the guys are equally as uncomfortable. Painful.

Man, life is good. I've got a lot to be thankful for this holiday season.

WALLET CARD - A Mello-Minty Smile

I've said it before and I'll say it again....my Oscar Gamble PC is the most fun project I've ever worked on in this hobby. Smile on my face - brimming wide...every single time.

I picked up 2 whole cards of his from COMC this past year (I know...impressive). The one I'm sharing with you today is a perfect example of what I love about building this player collection.

Next month will be the 10-year mark for my Oscar Gamble card chase. I'm shaking my head as I type that. Time truly flies. And while he may not have had many new cards added to the list recently, the real joy in this build comes from what has existed for years.

There are around 200 unique Oscar Gamble cards out there - microscopic when compared to the gargantuan mountain of 25,000+ cards of a player like Derek Jeter. Most of the Gamble cards he has are base or easy inserts to track down (and inexpensive)...and I've slowly done that over the years. It's no fun to just go out and buy everything in a day just to say "I'm finished".

The past couple years, scratching Oscar Gamble cards off the list has become more challenging. There are still a few that I can find easily, but if the price isn't right...I'll pass. Other cards of his just don't pop up at all - yes, there are some tougher parallels or low numbered stuff that makes this journey even more fun.

2014 Panini Golden Age Mini

#126 Smith's Mello-Mint Back

First, let's stop and enjoy this great piece of cardboard. Oscar Gamble has an absolutely infectious smile. I love the entire look of this card. The highlights hitting his face as he looks ahead to what the day might bring. Like a warm summer afternoon with nothing but good thoughts and a carefree attitude.

This Panini Golden Age card would've been released just prior to the start of my Oscar Gamble PC. In that 2014 product, there was a regular-sized base card, a Black 1/1 (which I own...but for some reason have never shared), a couple other base parallels that I still am on the hunt for as well as a plethora of mini, tobacco-sized offerings like this one.

Those mini cards have multiple versions, all differentiated by the backs. There are seven to chase (one of which is a Panini Logo-back 1/1). This card makes the sixth mini for my PC - and it was by far the toughest to track down.

The Smith's Mello-Mint back has eluded me for ten whole years. I've never seen another copy. This one showed up on COMC a number of months back and I did a hard triple-take when I initially saw it. I raced to the collection closet to snag the box containing my Oscar Gamble cards. I feverishly sifted to find the Golden Age Minis. 

Croft's Swiss Milk Cocoa Back...check, Hindu Brown Back...check, Hindu Red Back...check, MONO Blue Back...check, MONO Green Back...check, Smith's Mello-Mint Back...NEED!!

I was stunned with a smile to finally see it. It's not a numbered card (and are 1:48 packs...so one in every 2 boxes), but like I said, I'd not seen an Oscar Gamble copy in all these years. I was equally floored by the $2.50 price tag attached to the card. It was an insta-buy.

Receiving my COMC cards last week, this piece of cardboard was at the top of the list in terms of excitement level. I was like a kid in a candy store ripping open the envelope and pulling out the sweet treat. I had a smile the likes of the one on the Gamble card itself when I finally had this item in my hands and flipped it over to reveal the gorgeous Smith's Mello-Mint back. Just loved it.

I think the most fun projects to build are the ones that provide a balance of enjoyment and challenge - and heightened levels of that are like an extra bonus level of fun. Oscar Gamble does that perfectly. Not every card is going to be hovering in front of me just waiting to be purchased. Time, effort, "the chase", these are things that I value when it comes to collecting. 

Adding a card like this one just reinforces my enthusiasm to keep looking.

In the iconic words of Calvin and Hobbes...Let's Go Exploring!

BEHIND THE MASKS - I Finally Did It

Less than 3 weeks into 2025 and I'm just bursting with excitement at what the new year has already brought...and what I'm hoping it will bring. After a challenging 2024, it's a welcomed sight.

So too are some fantastic cards that arrived from COMC this past week. 

I tend to build up my purchases over the year and then have it all shipped in November. Makes for a fun start when the calendar turns...I think I'll be continuing this tradition.

It was a smaller batch of cards this past year - about 20 or so - but each one brought a smile to my face as it pocketed into one of my ongoing collections.

It also gives me a chance to blog a bit here in January (again...exciting).

So let's start with a card that has been on the wantlist for over 25 years.

1996/97 Pinnacle Masks

#6 Ron Hextall

This might look like a simple Ron Hextall mask card to you. To me, it represents the final piece of an important cardboard puzzle.

The Pinnacle Masks insert sets that were released between 1993/94 and 1997/98 have been without a doubt the most fun mask cards to chase. They were my gateway to goalie mask card collecting and I can still vividly remember rummaging through monster boxes at hobby shops on my weekend trips to the stores, feeling like I discovered gold when I pulled a mask card I needed out of a box. I would spend hours at those places.

A lot of the shops that were staples in my hobby world back in the late 90's/early 2000's are long gone. I'm grateful that the wonderful memories I have of the people and places still sit with me strong.

So why did I take so long to snag this Hextall?

I had completed all the other Pinnacle Masks sets at the time in much shorter order. These 96/97 inserts were a little harder to come by. I had 2 cards on the wantlist for many, many years...and only just knocked off the other one a couple years ago. 

With just a single card left on the list, I started to ignore it as I was building my other, more current goalie mask sets (from In The Game, Leaf, you name it). And seeing the prices for the Hextall online didn't really inspire me to make that final purchase (I like finding my mask cards in the $3-5 range). Locally, the well had dried up years ago. I didn't see one at all - anywhere.

So why now?

Last year was a slow year in picking up cards all around. I had a few dollars in my COMC account and made the decision to spend them. I opened up my wantlists and started searching. On my goalie mask wantlist, the Hextall was sitting right at the top - staring me dead in my face - the oldest card I was still in need of. 

The price for it on COMC - $12us......and that was on sale, down from $20. Still more that I really wanted to spend.

But I did it...I splurged and added it to my items to be shipped.

For years I was holding out for a less expensive copy of the card. Wouldn't you know it....there's a Hextall on COMC today (I checked as I typed this out) for $8.47us. Just. My. Luck. Ha ha.

No regrets at all in picking this copy up when I did. It finishes that 5-year-run of Pinnacle Masks cards that really mean a lot to my overall personal collection, and I'm thrilled by that. But it did give me slight pause in reminding myself that there is nothing wrong with being patient. I believe it always pays off.

I'll share more of my recent purchases over the next couple weeks. Super excited by what I've been sifting through. Just a really fun way to kick off the year. Let's go!

OUTSIDE THE BOX - Marvel Renditions

A hearty welcome to 2025!! Very excited for what the year might bring.

I haven't been much of a pack ripper over the past couple years. Just not as much product that really gets me excited as there once was. I normally gravitate towards stuff that my guy, Trevor Linden, resides in. It's been slimmer pickings recently.

But I found myself busting open some packs on a couple occasions this past week. And if you're a regular here...it might feel quite outside the box.

For about 3-4 years now, I've been enjoying the Marvel deck building game, Legendary. Developed by Upper Deck over a decade ago, this game has seen literally dozens of expansions and now is a world that consists of thousands of cards. 

I love the game mechanics, the cooperative nature (and it even has a solid solo version that I play quite a bit). 

So...where am I going with this? Upper Deck recently released the Marvel trading card product, Renditions. As a part of the checklist, there are some foil versions of the Legendary cards. My ears perked up at the thought of landing some fun inserts.

I didn't know much about the product when I bought my packs - other than the aforementioned Legendary cards. But I had seen some of the artwork involved and couldn't resist.

I'm still a real sucker for opening packs. I believe it to be the essence of what the trading card hobby is all about. The real thrill of the chase.

Now....in the news world, they say "don't bury the lede", or don't keep the most important stuff to the end.

So......

Opened a pack...very excited to see a card midway down that had its own penny sleeve. That got the goosebumps going. Booklet sketch card....oh boy, here we go!! 

KAPOW!! This photo does not do the card justice. It is absolutely amazing to see this much crazy detail embedded in such a small canvas. Wow! Just floored by this pull.

One person in the store said "case hit". Heck, I think it might be "product hit"...gotta be one of the best cards in the entire release.

The artist is gentleman by the name of M. Arief Russanto. I know nothing of him other than very, very talented.

(quick Google search....young artist from Indonesia. Amazing detailed artwork.)

Now that we've seen the big hit...all this is going to look like mush. Ha ha. Seriously though, I love the artwork on these cards. And of course, some amazing, iconic characters.

It's one of the biggest reasons why I am drawn to the Marvel Legendary game, even though I know next to nothing of the comic books (which a lot of this is inspired by and comes from). But it works so well on the 2.5x3.5 trading card canvas.

This Silk card is a perfect example. The rays of light just enhance the punch of red color coming from Spidey and Silk. Gradient, blending colors create a mesmerizing flow. Piercing highlights on the hair and shoulders make this card pop.

Super eye-catching.

Some of the inserts from the packs...these are canvas comic book cover cards. They look really cool and I can see a lot of people wanting to chase down this set. Again, a perfect vehicle for the trading card.

These not rare by any means (one in every pack)...so an affordable chase is definitely there.

Base cards have some parallel versions. This is the "Goblin Green foil" offering, numbered to 399. Happy with the ones I got in my packs.

The "Kingpin Purple Tie" shiny card (numbered to 99) looks really great in the light. I don't know how they make that foil pattern dance...but it works.

I won't lie though, might be the worst card art in the base set. This Scorpion character does not inspire.

But the main reason why I wanted to open some packs....

Here are the two Legendary foil cards that I pulled. They look dynamite in person. Again, the artwork. I love how these heroes punch right through the card-style borders. Just makes it feel like they're jumping out of the cards at you. Love it.

I'm not sure if I'll chase down the entire foil set (a 90-card build). If they run $3-5 a piece...might be a tough go. They are however, seeded 1 in every 3 packs so there might be a few floating around after the initial wave dies down.

But, they might get scooped up too. It's a hot item currently. Who knows.

Nonetheless, I had a blast opening these few packs (one can say that when he hits a monster sketch booklet - literally). See what I did there? Solid fun.

Let's hope there more big hits to come this year.

What are the "outside the box" items that you chase (or want to chase)? Why?